1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method in which a probe apparatus for ultrasound diagnosis transmits an echo signal to an ultrasonic imaging apparatus, and an apparatus for performing the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ultrasound diagnostic imaging systems transmit ultrasonic signals from the surface of a human body toward a predetermined region inside the human body and acquire tomographic images of soft-tissue or blood flow by using information obtained from an ultrasonic signal reflected by liquids or tissue inside the human body. Advantages of an ultrasound system are its relatively small size, low cost, real-time display, and the fact that the subject is not exposed to ionizing radiation (e.g., X-rays). Therefore, ultrasound imaging systems are widely used along with other types of image diagnostic devices, such as an X-ray diagnostic device, a computerized tomography (CT) scanner, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device, a nuclear medicine (gamma camera) diagnostic device, etc.
FIG. 1 illustrates a typical ultrasound diagnostic imaging system 150 as currently in use today, which diagnostic includes a probe 110 for transceiving ultrasonic signals, and an ultrasound diagnostic imaging system body 100, namely, an ultrasonic imaging apparatus 100, to which the probe 110 is connected via a cable 120. However, the cable 120 causes much inconvenience to a person using the ultrasound imaging system 150 to perform an ultrasound test, due to the length (usually 1-2 m), thickness and weight of the cable 120.